Behind the Seams- FIG: A Taste of European Fashion

Fort Worth, TX. There’s a new FIG in town, and on the west side of the DFW metroplex. Fort Worth is home to a new European ‘made to measure’ boutique, thanks to owners Dora Schabel and Robin Birdsong, two very talented (and very busy!) fashionistas. I recently sat down with marketing director Sally Burt and merchandising manager Lauren Ulrick (pictured below, respectively) to discuss West 7th’s newest addition. As we lounged in the front room of the studio, the ladies schooled me on European design, and why American women should embrace it.

According to Ulrick, many of us “play it safe, especially when it comes to business attire,” and I couldn’t agree more. Far too often, women in the corporate sector find themselves confined to a dismal spectrum of black, gray, brown and other boring neutrals. American women need no longer limit themselves; FIG is here to liberate us!

So why Fort Worth? Believe or not, Dallas isn’t the only city where you can get your couture fix. Fort Worth has many high-end boutiques and West 7th is definitely an up and coming, upscale urban development- a perfect fit for FIG. This city also boasts a strong retail support network called FOWO, or Fort Worth For Women. This private business network focuses on supporting local women-owned retail businesses, with an emphasis on quality, community and personal service. The women at FIG believe in those same ideals. “We’re not here to compete, but to create a market,” says Ulrick. “We want customers to have a European experience here, one that’s relaxed, fun, not rushed.” In agreement with this ‘European aesthetic’ Burt adds “we want this to be a good experience- when customer service is great, customers will want to return.”

I know the feeling. I’ve visited three times since first discovering the design studio earlier last month. There is something quite…transcendent about it all. Surrounded by exquisite fabrics, one-of-a-kind accessories and an unparalleled attention to detail, not only in the clothing but also by the staff, it’s hard to stay away. And that’s just the way FIG would have it.

What’s wonderfully unique about FIG is its “made to measure” concept. As Burt explains, “people don’t understand this concept of ‘fitting perfectly.’ When we shop, we just have to take what’s there (a dress in a great color but with an odd hemline or pant with the right length but an ill-fitting waist), and then alter it.” Well, at FIG, you don’t have to settle. The ‘made to measure’ concept takes the gamble and risk out of shopping. Your measurements are taken and a garment is created exclusively for you! Another unique feature of FIG is its fair trade model. The European designers decide the price and maintain autonomy over their respective clothing lines. Prices range on average from just $100 to $2000 for couture creations, including wedding dresses!

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have a designer boutique of this caliber in Fort Worth. While I love Dallas, everything designer need not be located there. And by the way, in case you’re feeling a tingling of sticker shock, Thread Conscious has never been about being cheap; it’s about finding quality pieces for reasonable prices. And that’s exactly what FIG has.

For more information, visit FIG here or watch the video from their website below.